Just seconds after he had flattened Philadelphia defenseman Nick Schultz with a ruthless check, Rangers defenseman Dylan McIlrath found himself face-to-face on Saturday with the snarling Flyers defenseman Luke Schenn, who had taken exception to the hit and flung down his gloves.
For the second straight afternoon, McIlrath got into a fight that he won decisively, knocking off Schenn’s helmet and pounding him with uppercuts. The fight stirred the Madison Square Garden crowd and might have launched the Rangers to a victory. But they suddenly have other issues.
After the fight, which unfolded 11 minutes into the game, the Rangers were outshot, 31-21, and the Flyers, who remain the lowest-scoring team, rolled to a 3-0 victory.